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Monday, June 13, 2016

Hate resonates. It ripples out from Orlando to touch lives
in St. Louis and across the world. What happened in Orlando is not only a crime
against the patrons of the Pulse Nightclub, but it's also an attack on all LGBTQ
community members. This is how hate crimes are different.

I could recite the scholarly literature from my dissertation
on hate and bias crimes that lists how hate crimes are more serious than other
crimes, cause greater injuries, and evoke more trauma and increased likelihood of PTSD.
What is at the heart of this matter, however, is that hate crimes target people
for what they are, rather than who
they are. While the crime in Orlando has not officially been ruled a hate crime, it certainly appears to be one. Those victims could have been any
LGBTQ individuals as far as the shooter was concerned. The victims were interchangeable and he shot indiscriminately.

“I’m scared, scared that I cannot be who I truly am in
public without grave harm to myself” That is the heartbreaking text that nearly
brought me to my knees last night in the wake of the Pulse Nightclub shootings.
It was from a dear friend of mine who only recently has begun to explore her
sexuality and gender identity. It’s from a dear friend of mine who has not been
able to tell her family and most of her friends about her identity. It's from a dear friend who lives nowhere close to Orlando, but still fears and hurts. It is from a dear friend who has a trusted few friends that know her true self and who relies on the safety of
LGBTQ-friendly areas and clubs to express herself. That perceived safety has been shattered for her and so many more people all across the country.

There’s really no answer I can give to her fear. All I can say is that I am scared, too. I’m scared for her and anyone else who suffers harm at
the hand of hate. I’m scared that nowhere is safe for her. I’m scared that
there’s nothing I can do to protect my friend. I’m scared that this will
discourage her from being her true self. Most of all, I’m scared that hate will
win. We can’t let hate win.

If you are scared, angry, sad, hurt, or anxious because of the shootings in Orlando, you can call Crime Victim Advocacy Center for free counseling at 314-652-3623.